VanEck maintains its year-end price target of $180,000 for Bitcoin
US asset management company VanEck released a research report, reiterating its optimistic outlook on Bitcoin, believing that Bitcoin is expected to rise to $180,000 before the end of this year, and mentioned that institutional funds are becoming the biggest engine driving the market.
VanEck, one of the major Bitcoin spot ETF issuers, has long been deeply involved in cryptocurrency market research. The company predicted in its report that Bitcoin may experience a 30% price correction this summer before moving towards its target of $180,000:
As autumn approaches, overall economic variables and the pace of investors re-entering the market are expected to continue the bullish momentum of Bitcoin, but may also trigger profit-taking selling pressure.
Temporary suspension of operations before new guidelines are released! South Korea's 'cryptocurrency lending services' are completely halted
The South Korean Financial Services Commission (FSC) announced today (19th) that domestic cryptocurrency exchanges must fully suspend lending operations from now on until new guidelines are officially introduced.
The South Korean FSC pointed out that it has issued administrative guidance letters to major exchanges, ordering the immediate cessation of all cryptocurrency lending services until South Korea formulates a proper set of cryptocurrency lending guidelines to avoid the market continuing to operate in a regulatory gray area and to reduce the risk of significant losses for investors due to leveraged operations.
Looking back at July 4 of this year, South Korea's largest exchange, Upbit, was the first to launch the 'collateral lending' service, allowing investors to use deposits in Korean won or digital assets (USDT, Bitcoin, Ripple) as collateral, with a maximum borrowing amount of up to 80% of the collateral value. Subsequently, Bithumb also joined the fray, even offering lending options with up to 4 times leverage, and other exchanges followed suit.
Bitcoin falls below $115,000, Ethereum retreats to $4,200! The market holds its breath waiting for Powell's speech
The cryptocurrency market today (19th) experienced increased volatility, with Bitcoin falling below $115,000 and Ethereum retreating to the $4,200 mark, triggering over $300 million in leveraged positions in the derivatives market to be liquidated, primarily concentrated in Bitcoin and Ethereum long positions.
This correction is accompanied by a rapid cooling of expectations for a rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) in September. According to data from prediction platform Polymarket, the probability of 'no rate cut' surged from an original 12% to 26%, causing a sharp shift in market sentiment, leading some investors to choose to adjust their risk positions in advance in preparation for Fed Chairman Jerome Powell's upcoming speech at the 'Jackson Hole Global Central Bank Annual Meeting.'
BitMine increases its holdings by 370,000 Ether! Ascending to 'the second largest cryptocurrency reserve company', second only to Strategy.
US-listed company BitMine Immersion (BMNR) announced on Monday that its Ether holdings increased to 1.523 million coins, valued at approximately $6.61 billion, firmly establishing itself as the largest enterprise-level Ether investment holder globally, while also claiming to be the second-largest cryptocurrency reserve company in the world, second only to Bitcoin whale Strategy (MSTR).
In comparison, Strategy currently holds 629,000 Bitcoins, valued at over $72.4 billion.
According to official data from BitMine, the stock has now entered the top 10 most liquid stocks in the US market, with an average daily trading volume of about $6.4 billion. BitMine is led by Wall Street analyst and Fundstrat founder Tom Lee. He was known in the past as the 'biggest bull on Bitcoin,' and now he is fully promoting the Ether strategy.
Investing an additional 430 bitcoins! Strategy aggressively accumulates coins without hesitation, investment bank sets target price at $680.
On Monday, the American investment bank TD Cowen released a research report, reiterating a target price of $680 for bitcoin investment giant Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy). At the time of this assessment, Strategy again increased its purchase of 430 bitcoins, investing approximately $51.4 million, mainly from a new round of preferred stock issuance.
Just a few weeks ago, Strategy co-founder and executive chairman Michael Saylor assured investors that unless used to pay debt interest or preferred stock dividends, new shares would not be issued when the company's stock price is below 2.5 times the holding value of coins. This indicator is also known as 'mNAV premium,' which has long been a tool for Strategy's fundraising, as it allows raising funds at a high valuation and then buying bitcoins at a discount.
Strengthening the crackdown on illegal cryptocurrency activities! U.S. Treasury solicits opinions and seeks innovative solutions
U.S. President Donald Trump signed the (GENIUS Act) last month, establishing a regulatory framework for stablecoins and imposing a 'tightening grip' on illegal activities involving cryptocurrencies. To this end, the U.S. Department of the Treasury publicly solicited opinions on Monday, inviting various sectors to propose 'innovative or new methods, technologies, and strategies' to assist financial institutions in enhancing their ability to detect suspicious transactions such as money laundering.
According to the announcement, the scope of consultation covers application programming interfaces (APIs), artificial intelligence (AI), digital identity verification, and blockchain technology, among others. The Treasury stated that the deadline for feedback is October 17, and the related research results will be submitted to the Senate Banking Committee and the House Financial Services Committee, potentially pushing forward regulatory details in the future.
MICA Daily|On Monday, the cryptocurrency market saw a liquidation of $580 million, with BTC barely holding at $116,000
On Monday, during the Asian early market phase, the cryptocurrency market suddenly plummeted, with BTC briefly dropping to $114,000 and ETH falling below $4,200. The downward pressure persisted from the morning until the evening when the U.S. stock market opened. The reasons for this decline are varied, but the obvious underlying reason is to clear excess bullish liquidity. The sharp drop in the morning directly liquidated $130 million, while the total liquidation amount on Monday reached $580 million, with nearly $500 million of bullish positions liquidated. This shows that many people were going long on cryptocurrencies on Monday, leading to the liquidations.
The trigger on the news front was market concerns over a breakdown in negotiations between Trump and Zelensky, which introduced variables into the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire. Trump stated on social media yesterday morning that for negotiations to succeed, Ukraine must sacrifice territory, but this is something Zelensky is unlikely to agree to. Although this state of Russia and Ukraine has persisted for several years, it should not have too much impact on the market. U.S. stock index futures only saw slight declines, but it created an opportunity for liquidations in the cryptocurrency market.
Over $3.7 billion worth of ETH waiting to be unlocked, what is the risk of selling pressure on Ethereum?
Author: Nancy, PANews
Currently, the divergence of bullish and bearish sentiment regarding Ethereum is becoming increasingly apparent. With the recent surge in coin prices, the demand for staking withdrawals has significantly increased, and market concerns about potential downside risks are growing. Will there be large-scale selling pressure on Ethereum as expected?
Multiple factors drive Ethereum staking to a new high in liquidation scale.
Currently, the scale of ETH unstaking has reached a historic peak. According to Validator Queue data, as of August 18, over 87,000 ETH (worth approximately $3.76 billion) are queued to exit the Ethereum network, setting a new historical record, and have increased for six consecutive days, with an estimated wait time of 15 days and 4 hours. In contrast, new staked ETH waiting to enter is only about 26,000 (approximately $1.12 billion), with an expected activation delay of about 4 days and 12 hours.
Indirectly holding 11,400 Bitcoins! The Norwegian Sovereign Fund significantly increased its stake in Strategy and Metaplanet in Q2
The world's largest sovereign fund, the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global, with total assets of up to $1.7 trillion, significantly increased its Bitcoin exposure in the second quarter of this year, raising its Bitcoin equivalent holdings from 6,200 coins to 11,400 coins through additional investments in Strategy and Metaplanet, marking an increase of 83% in a single quarter.
Geoffrey Kendrick, head of digital asset research at Standard Chartered, found that the most prominent highlight in the second quarter, after analyzing the SEC's latest 13F filings, was that the Norwegian Sovereign Fund increased its investments in Strategy and Metaplanet.
Ethereum attracts $2.87 billion! Global cryptocurrency funds saw a weekly inflow of $3.75 billion, the fourth highest in history.
The latest report from digital asset management firm CoinShares indicated that global cryptocurrency investment products recorded a net inflow of $3.75 billion last week, marking the fourth largest weekly record ever. Notably, almost all buying pressure came from the U.S. market last week, and the biggest winner was undoubtedly Ethereum.
CoinShares Research Director James Butterfill stated that as of August 13, with the rise in cryptocurrency prices and continuous buying pressure, the assets under management (AUM) of global cryptocurrency funds reached a record high of $244 billion.
Ethereum fund dominates with a weekly inflow of $2.87 billion.
The first Chinese-funded bank-affiliated brokerage! China Merchants Bank International Securities launches 'Virtual Asset Trading Services' supporting BTC, ETH
China Merchants Bank International Securities Co., Ltd. announced today (18) the formal launch of virtual asset trading services, becoming the first Chinese-funded bank-affiliated brokerage to开展 cryptocurrency trading business in Hong Kong.
According to the official announcement, the newly launched service has been integrated into the mobile application (APP) of China Merchants Bank International Securities, providing 'qualified investors' with year-round, 24/7 virtual asset trading functions.
Investors can directly participate in trading Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Tether (USDT) through their virtual asset accounts. In the future, China Merchants Bank International Securities will expand the scope of virtual asset trading within the risk control and compliance management framework and continuously upgrade trading functions.
$236 million in long positions at risk! Ethereum falling below $4,200 may trigger a chain liquidation
The recent trend of Ethereum has once again attracted market attention. Data shows that if the price of Ethereum falls below the $4,200 mark, it could trigger the liquidation of billions of dollars in leveraged long positions, exacerbating market volatility.
According to Hyperdash statistics, there are currently about 56,628 leveraged long positions of Ethereum at risk on Hyperliquid, with a total value exceeding $236 million. If Ethereum falls to $4,170, these positions could be forcibly liquidated.
Moreover, the data shows that there is also a significant liquidation risk lurking in the range of $3,940 and $2,150 ~ $2,160.
Japan's Metaplanet buys an additional 775 Bitcoins, bringing total holdings to 18,888 coins
Japan's Metaplanet, focusing on Bitcoin financial strategies, announced today (18th) that the company has invested $93 million to buy an additional 775 Bitcoins, with an average purchase price of about $120,006 per coin.
Company CEO Simon Gerovich stated that this increase will push Metaplanet's Bitcoin holdings to 18,888 coins, with a total investment of approximately $1.94 billion, averaging a cost of $102,650 per Bitcoin.
Inflation shadow looming! Bitcoin's key support at $115,000 is at risk; if it fails to hold, it may test the $110,000 mark
U.S. economic data released last week exceeded expectations, instantly cooling market speculation about Fed rate cuts, significantly undermining investor confidence, and the wait-and-see atmosphere persists; today (the 18th), the cryptocurrency market faced selling pressure again, with both Bitcoin and Ethereum declining, and competing coins falling into a sea of red.
According to CoinGecko market data, Bitcoin's lowest point today dipped to $115,222, currently reporting at $115,236, with a daily decline of 2.4%, pulling back 7% from last week's historic high of $124,128; Ethereum is similarly under pressure, down 4.3% in the past 24 hours, now reported at $4,287; among the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, only Chainlink (LINK) is moving against the trend, with an increase of less than 1%, currently at $24.59.
Thailand will launch 'TouristDigiPay': Allowing travelers to use 'cryptocurrency to exchange for Thai baht' for tourism spending
The Thai government will launch a new policy today (18th), allowing foreign travelers to exchange their cryptocurrencies for Thai baht for payments during their travels. This initiative, named 'TouristDigiPay', is seen as a response to the decline in the tourism industry, especially the sharp decrease in Chinese tourists.
According to Thai media (The Nation), details of the new measures will be announced at a press conference on Monday, hosted by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, SEC, AMLO, and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
JPYC Takes the Lead! Japan Will Welcome the 'Yen Stablecoin' Soonest This Autumn
The Financial Services Agency (FSA) of Japan is expected to approve the issuance of a 'Yen Stablecoin' as early as this autumn, marking the first time Japan will allow a digital currency 'pegged to its national legal currency' to emerge, taking a crucial step in the global stablecoin competition.
According to reports from Nikkei, the Tokyo fintech company JPYC Inc. will complete the registration process for 'fund transfer operators' within this month and lead the launch of the first Yen stablecoin.
The stablecoin will maintain a fixed value of '1 Yen = 1 JPYC' and will be backed by highly liquid assets such as bank deposits and Japanese government bonds. Whether corporate or individual, after completing the subscription, JPYC will be directly sent to digital wallets via bank transfer.
MICA Daily | Bitcoin's daily chart forms a 'double top pattern', need to be cautious of a pullback before the interest rate cut in September
Last week, the biggest impact on the market came from the discrepancies in the economic data released by the United States. This included the CPI on Tuesday, which was positive, leading to a market surge, with Bitcoin breaking through $123,000 to reach a new high, and ETH also climbing to $4,700. However, on Thursday, the Producer Price Index (PPI) deviated significantly from expectations, dampening market optimism, and the effects extended into the weekend, with cryptocurrency prices returning to the lows seen at the beginning of last week.
On the daily chart of BTC, many analysts have observed that Bitcoin reached new highs in mid-July and mid-August, followed by a pullback, currently forming what is known as a 'double top pattern'. According to technical analysis, a significant pullback is likely to occur. However, with the expectations of interest rate cuts in September and continuous institutional inflows, it is hard to imagine what negative factors could lead to a significant pullback in the cryptocurrency market, but it is still necessary to be cautious of risks.
Dialogue with multiple traders: How far are we from a "full-scale alt season"?
Author: kkk, rhythm
On August 12, Ethereum broke through $4,700, setting a four-year high. @CryptoHayes, who had taken profits early last week, also bought back Ethereum on August 9; Bitcoin also set a new high, and the total market value of cryptocurrencies rushed to $4.2 trillion, completely igniting market sentiment.
Traditional markets were also thriving. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 both hit new records, accelerating global liquidity flows into risky assets. The US dollar index (DXY) fell below 98, further opening the floodgates for capital inflows into the stock and crypto markets. This macroeconomic environment not only solidified the upward trend but also boosted investor confidence in high-risk assets.
How did edgeX, a derivative DEX without token issuance, surpass Uniswap in revenue?
Most people know that the most profitable business in the crypto space is contracts.
But can you imagine that a low-key dark horse perp DEX, which has only been operational for a year, surpassed Ethereum, Base, and other leading public chains in revenue within 24 hours? Extending the time frame to 7 days, it has trampled over DeFi veterans such as Uniswap, Jupiter, AAVE, and Lido. It is not only one of the few projects without token issuance within the top 15 of daily revenue but also the perp dex with the best liquidity depth for buying BTC and ETH within a 0.01% price difference range.
This revenue curve's new 'monster' is called edgeX.